Correspondence device



N. OTTINGEH. CORRESPONDENCE DEVICE).

APPLICATION FlLED APRl 27, 1917.

Lggo Patented. Apr. M,l922.

@ai y NATHAN OTTINGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CORRESPONDENCE Davies.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '11, T322.

Application filed April 27, 1917. Serial No. 164,967.

T 0 all ifi/wm it may concern Figure 2 shows the same ready to be writ- Be it known that l, NATHAN GTTINGER, a ten upon;

citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Correspondence Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in correspondence devices and particularly such devices as disclosedin my copending application, Serial No. 51115, filed October 5, 1915.

Generally stated, the purposes ofthe invention embodied in this application include among others the following objects, viz:

To provide a means whereby part of a free edge of the retaining member referred to in such co-.pending application may,

while actually open, be given a closed appearance and be so made as to prevent any foreign matter coming underneath the retaining member when the device is closed and readyV for mailing; to provide means by which, when the device is received in a sealed condition, it may be openedeasily without any opening machine, without tearing the contents and leaving a substantially straight and clean edge for filing purposes; and to provide means whereby the device may be used for correspondence or similar purposes in a form which, while unsealed and open to inspect-ion by the Post Office Department is yet held closed sufficiently to prevent the mutilation or dropping out of the contents, and thus securing all the advantage of a letter paying the rate of postage of first class matter, while coming wit-hin the requirements of the one cent postage rate. A still further object is to provide such a device which may, though it need not be, be manufactured from a single sheet of paper or other suitable material, and which will be simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

`With these and other objects in view, embodiments of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and will be hereinafter more fully described with referencethereto, and finally v pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of one form of my improved invention, showing the blank before folding or sealing;

Figure 3 shows the same folded, sealed and addressed;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modified form of the construction for a form of the device which will be securely closed though unsealed;

Figure 5 shows the same form folded up closed and unsealed ready for mailing;

Figure 6 is a plan view of another forni of the device intended to be mailed asfa closed but unsealed correspondence device;

Figure 7 shows tae saine folded closed but unsealed and ready for mailing; I

Figure 8 shows a further modified form; and i Figure 9 shows a still further modification.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theA several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1 thereof, a portion/1() of a sheet is provided with av flap 15 having an extension 15a and also with flaps 13 and 17 and with cuts 17E and 17E. The outer edge 28 of the flap 15 is bent over along the line 23 so that'when the flap 15 is folded down as hereinafter stated the said bend will be in the direction of the portion 1(). lheV port-ion 11 is provided with a flap 19 intended to be secured upon 4its underside to' the underside of the portion 11 by gumming or other securing means as far as the line 20, leaving the space between said line and the outer edge 24 of said flap unsecured and forming a species of pocket. The portions 1G, 11 and 12 and the flap 15 are provided with a perforated line 18 so located that when the flap 17 is folded upon the portion 10 the said line of perforations will be between said flap and the line 22a along which the flap 13 is folded as hereinafter stated. The portion 12 is provided with a transverse perforated line 30 and also with an extended portion 29 which is provided with what is substantially a duplication, for purposes of return correspondence, of the structure which will be formed in the manner presently stated upon the portion 10.

In forming the improved correspondence means from the blank just described, the extended flap 15a is folded under the flap lll@ 15 "which is then folded down upon the portion 10 and the flap 18 is folded over the flap 15 along the line 22 and secured thereto at the contacting points7 one method of securing same being by gumming the flap stance up to the line 14:. The point 16 of the flap 15 will then be on a line with the edge 25 enabling the folds 11 and 12 when folded along lines of folding 22 and 26 which may be prepared folds, to be easily inserted within the retaining member preferably by a rotary motion around the point 27 or in proximity thereto.v The flap 17 is gummed or otherwise secured to the portion 10 along the line 17a, preferably not above the cut 17b thus forming a spring flap. lf it is desired to seal the device the remaining portion of the flap 17 may be gumined but preferably not above the line of the out 17". The flap 19 is then folded baclzward upon Vthe portion 11 along the line 19 and the undersides of the 'said portion 11 and the flap 19 are then secured together eX- ept that the said flap V19 remains unsecured in they space between line 20 and the'outer edge 24of said flap, thus'forining a pocket which,r when .the device is folded `up .along the line of folding 22 will engage the edge 28 of the flap 15 and holdit closed. llt is obvious Vthat the flap 15 may be given a circular, semi-circular, rectangular, irregular or any other shape v,and thatthe flap 1 9 may be correspondingly shaped so that the vaforesaid poolretwill properly engage with the iiap 15.V VExamples of suchl other shapes are givenin Figures'd, 5, 6 and 7.,'1`he cuts 17b and 17c of the portion 10yare provided to enable the spring` flap :to be bent easily backwards or forwards. The Abend inthe flap 15- along the line 23 maybe accomplished either by physically bending the Y paper or by applying some chemical or other substance which will produce that result.

'It is obvious that the -Hap 19 Amay be formed from a separate piece of 'material secured to the underside of the portion 11 to perform the same 'functions and also that any of the flaps 13. 15 or 1.7 may likewise be made from a separate piece of material.l

In the forni illustrated in Figure 2. the device may be readily placed in a typewriting machine, printing press or the like or may be written upon by hand, the entire name, address and letter being written at one operation, the name and `address upon portion 15 and the body of the letter on the portions 10, 11 and 12. I

`When the letter is completed the device is folded along the lines of folding 31, 26

and 22 and the portions 11 and 12 should then be placed within the pocket formed bythe portions 10 and 15, the pocket formed between the lines 20 and 241 engaging the bent edge of the portion 15 between the ifi-.rasee [i and a part of the portion 1() as for insame manner'above set forth; 3;

lines 23 and 28 and extension 15a'will then be underneath the portion 11 and 12; the spring flap 17 is then bent backwards by means of the cuts 1.7b and 17 along the line 17"L and the portion .1.71 of said flap is then placed underneath the portion 15 and over the portion 12 thus forming` with the eX- tension 15 an interlocking means, andthe rest of the flap17 will enclose the portions 11 and 12. 1n this way, a device is oltained which while easily open to 'postal inspection required by the lower postage rates will yet form a securely held and closed packet or correspondence device. 1f it is desired to seal the same the entire iap 17 but preferably not above the out17b may bel guinmed and sealed.` y Y Figure 3 shows the device folded up and ready for mailing.

Vi7hen the device is received it is opened, if-

not in sealed form? by merely pressing baci; the spring flap 17 and ay single pull will then open out the entire device andany contents that .may have been pla-ced therein. lfithe .letter has been sealed, it may be opened by .formed upon the portion 12y and the ov-t`ei-f1dedV y,

portion thereof it is only necessary to tear olf such return device along the perforated line 30 and then to fold it up in'substantially the 1t is obvious that that part ofgthe portion 12 which Vis .below'the perforated line 3()v may,

Yif desired, instead of being employed 'for a return device contain a check, receipt or any similar paper which itr is desired.to "detach from thebody ofthe device. l Y

-1i`igure l is a blank. of another form intended to be used without sealing. 1n this form the flap 15 is to the loft of the portion 1() and is provided with a flap The flap 15 is bent over upon the portion 10 along the line 222L and the flap 235 is bent over upon the underside of the portion 10 along the line 33 and secured to such underside by gumming or other means. The ilap'15 inthis forni isy given a eircular or semi-circular shape. The portion v11 is provided along its right hand edge with a spring flap17 which is secured along the line 17, and a cut 17b is provided along a line of folding 227 and another out is provided in the portion 11 along the line 32. This lastmen'tioned cut begins at a point equally distant from the line 22 with a point upon the flap 15 after it is folded' over, in line with the line of said cut 32. Portion 11 is provided with another out 34 which is so arranged that when the folds 11 and 12 are folded into the retaining member formed by the flap 15 and the portion ,10, the said cut will engage upon and hold down the flap 15 along its edge 2S.

When the communication has been written upon the device, such device is folded up along the lines of folding 22 and 26 and the portions 11 and 12 are then inserted beneath the retaining member preferably by a rotary motion around or near the point 27 whereupon the cut 34 will automatically engage over a portion of the flap 15 as aforesaid and a portion of the spring flap between the point 32 and 32b will automatically engage over some of the right hand portion of the flap 15.

The spring flap 17 is then bent forward and its free edge 17c engages over the underside of the portion 10 effectually closing the device though unsealed.

Figure 5 shows the same device folded up and ready for mailing.

When the device is received, all that is necessary in orderl to open the same is to press the spring flap forward and pull out the entire device andpcontents with one pull.

Figure 6 is a blanlr of another modified form of myv invention intended for an iinsealed device, in which the flap 15 isvgiven a rectangular shape and the flap 13 is provided with extensions 13a and 13b, and the portion 11 and the flap 15 are cut away to the points 13d along the lines of folding 22 and.

15". In this modified form the device is made by folding the extension 15l underneath the flap v15 and then folding the flap 15 down upon the portion 10 and then folding the flap 13 along the line 221 upon the portion 10 and the flap 15 and pasting or otherwise securing the extensions 13a and 13b to the underside of the portion 10 aiong'the portions 13 of the lines of folding 15b and 22.

After the communication is written the portions 11 and 12 are folded along the lines of folding 22 and 26 and are then'folded into the retaining member and between flap 15 and the extension 15a. The flap 17 is then folded over the device along the lines 17c and the portion 17d of said fiap is inserted iinderneath the flap 15, the flap 17 thus forming with the extension 1i a an interlocking means,

ln Figure 8 have shown a still fiiither modification, in which the fiap 15 is formed integral with the upper edge of the portion 10, and is provided at its left hand edge with a flap 10 which is sealed to the back of the portion 10. The edge 41 of the flap 15 is preferably parallel to the longitudinal edges of the fold 10, and at its left hand end is brought down to a point slightly above the extremity 27 of the transverse line of folding by an ogee curve as at 42, to facilitate folding in of the portion 11. In Figure 9 the flap 15 of the form shown in Figure l is provided with a curved portion 4:2.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory forms of my invention, but it is obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character describei'l, a sheet of material foldable to form two or more folds, one of said folds having a stationary retainingmember permanently fastened thereto so as to form with such fold a permanent poclret of which said fold constitutes the underside, and the retaining member the upper side, said retaining member being attached along one of its principal dimensions in proximity to a considerable portion of an edge of said fold, which edge is adjacent a line of folding, said retainingl member adapted to receive a considerable portion of that edge of another fold which corresponds to the edge of the first mentioned fold in proximity to which the said retaining member isvatta-ched, both of said edges being adjacent said line of folding,

said sheet lof material being provided with a marginal sealing 'flap independent of said retaining member in a direction transverse to said line of folding and 'a weakened line spaced from said sealing flapand extending over at least two folds in a direction transverse to said line of folding and located between tlie two edges of the first mentioned fold which are adjacent said line of folding l2. .ln a device of the character described, a sheet of material foldable to' form two or more folds, one of said folds having a stationary retaining member permanently fastened thereto so as to form with such fold a permanent pocket of which said fold constitutes the underside, and the retaining member the upper side, said retaining member being attached along one of its principal dimensions in proximity to a considerable portion of an edge of said fold, which edge is adjacent a line of folding, said retaining member adapted to receive a considerable portion of that edge of another fold which Y corresponds to the edge of the first mentioned fold in proximity to which the said retaining member is attached, both of said edges beingadjacent saidL line of folding,v

tionary retaining member permanently fas-v tened thereto so as to form with such fold a permanent pocket of which said fold constitutes the underside, and the retaining meinber the upper side, said retaining member being attached along one of its principal dimensions in proximity to a considerable portion of an edge of said fold, which edge is adjacent a lineof folding, said retaining member adapted to receive and enclose a considerable portion of that edge of another fold which corresponds to the edge of the first mentioned fold in proximity to Which the said retaining member is attached, both of said edges being adjacent said line of folding, means for enclosing the edge of said other fold opposed to said enclosed edge, and means comprising a spring flap lto hold closed a considerable portion of a free edge of such retaining member when the said device is folded up, so that all interior spaces of said device are substantially closed in the folded position of said device.

4;. In a device of the character described, a sheet of material foldable to form two or more folds, one of said-folds having a stationary retaining member permanently fastened thereto so as to form With such fold a permanent pocket of which said fold constitutes the underside, and the retaining member the upperside, said retainingmember being attached along one of its'principal A.

dimensions in 'proximity to a considerable portion of an edge of said fold, Which edge is adjacent a line of folding, said retaining tween said retaining member and rst men! tioned fold, and another flapindependent of said retaining member and extending along that free edge of said first mentioned fold which is adjacent the said line of folding, said other flap adapted to lbe inserted between the retaining member and the first mentioned flap and to form inconjnnction therewith a means for locking the device closed. a

In testimony, thatI rclaim ythe foregoing as vmy invention, I have signed my name in presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

i y NATHAN OTTINGER.

Witnesses: Q D. LEWIS MATTERN, MOEM. WEINBEnG, 

